Mechanics of composites: A historical review

This review is concerned with mechanics of continuous fiber composites. The earliest and most important advancements in the field are emphasized. No doubt the coverage is limited to some extent by the interests and experiences of the writer as well as time and space considerations. The advancements in mechanics of composites have been influenced to a great extent by the development of advanced composites through materials science. No attempt is made to discuss these developments. This review emphasizes the use of theoretical and applied mechanics in the development of theories, confirmed by experimentation, to predict the response of composite materials and structures. Citations have been given for many published works, but certainly not all. Apologies to those not listed; numerous additional references can be found in the works cited.